Canned Spanish delicacies - the Gourmet Insider's recommendation
While canned fish has a rather inglorious shadowy existence in this country and tends to be sold for little money in the supermarket, the quality and image of canned fish is quite different in Spain. Spaniards love tinned fish and seafood, or the very best in jars. The catch is processed fresh from the fishing net, seasoned with all kinds of finesse and marinated in special marinades (escabeches) and high-quality oil. So there is no comparison to what is usually offered in German discount markets. Spanish canned fish is therefore usually found in the assortment of exclusive delicatessens. Why this is so is obvious to the buyer of such a luxury preserve at first sight of the fish specialities - we have already made some recipe videos that illustrate this. At the latest, however, it becomes clear when enjoying them that we are not talking about mundane "canned fish" here, but about top-quality canned fish products that are also delicious as tapas.
Preserving seafood & fish - a millennia-old Spanish tradition
The canning factories often located on Spain's coasts ensure short distances between fishing boats and often small and traditional manufactories that specialise in preserving freshly caught seafood. No wonder that the Spaniard has mastered this craft perfectly - the history of preserving already goes back more than two millennia. Olive oils and simple brines already served the purpose of preserving food permanently on the Atlantic coast.
In the 8th century, the Moors dominated much of the Iberian Peninsula. It is to their influence that we owe the refined wine- or vinegar-based herb pickles that intensify the flavour of pickled seafood and fish. In the 19th century, this art of pickling and preserving was to prove helpful to the Spanish in times of need. Despite sparse catches in the Mediterranean, the Catalonians did not have to do without their much-loved sardines, for these were still caught in abundance on the Atlantic coast, canned and transported to the north-east of Spain.
The fish canning industry is one of the most important economic sectors in Spain. Most of the gourmet preserves are produced for domestic consumption, only a third is destined for export. Extremely popular are pickled mussels, but Spaniards can also be enthusiastic about canned exotic sea creatures such as squid and octopus.
